One Piece Fan Fiction ❯ Cursed Island of the Devil Fruit Gods ❯ Rebirth ( Chapter 21 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Straw Hat crew, along with Ryuumaoh and Chiyu, plummeted down amongst the shattered rocks towards the foamy ocean below, with no hope of being saved. Nami closed her eyes, not wanting to know when the impact would crush her fragile form. Usopp, however, had his eyes wide open as he foamed at the mouth with fear while the roaring waters below neared very quickly. Franky was falling faster than the rest of them, and even if he had time, he couldn't rescue all of them with a Coup de Vent...if even one of them died, it wouldn't be right...they all had to go together, as nakama. Luffy was several yards away from them, falling towards what looked like a whirlpool. His rubber body could withstand the impact of hitting the water at such speeds but the whirlpool would ensure him a watery grave. Not that it was necessary; he was still unconscious and would not be able to struggle regardless.
A ferocious roar caught all of their attentions and their head all snapped up; Ryuumaoh, with Chiyu in his arms, was transforming. "Good...at least save her..." Sanji nodded. But Ryuumaoh wasn't finished. He kept growing and growing, bigger and bigger, until he blocked out the sun. He was in his complete Zoan form, a humongous flying dragon, and swooped down, attempting to rescue the Straw Hats. It was the least he could do for all they had taught him.
"Daddy! Hurry!" Chiyu begged him.
Ryuumaoh's wings flapped furiously, propelling him downward much faster, helping his now greater weight push him below the others. Nami fell directly on his back safely, while Usopp managed to grab onto one of Ryuumaoh's legs and clung tightly, trembling. Zoro slid down Ryuumaoh's neck and used his swords to halt him from sliding off, knowing it wouldn't hurt Ryuumaoh with his thick scales. Sanji bounced off of Zoro's head and landed near Nami, grinning broadly, ignoring Zoro's threatening growls. Chopper landed right on Ryuumaoh's tail and bit hard on one of the larger scales that was sticking up to keep his balance, his tiny, light body being too small to stay perched at the speed Ryuumaoh was flying. Franky was the only one unable to be reached aside from Luffy, but he knew how to remedy that. "Strong Right!" Franky shot out his right arm and latched onto Ryuumaoh's other leg, swinging by a chain, dangling inches from the surface of the water, but nevertheless safe.
"Luffy!" Nami shrieked.
Ryuumaoh cried out desperately, pushing himself with all his might, and just as Luffy fell below the waves, Ryuumaoh snapped his elongated, crocodile-like jaws into the water, withdrawing Luffy and keeping him safely within his mouth. Encouraged by an uproarious cheer from the Straw Hats, Ryuumaoh soared up high and carried his passengers high above the island. He hadn't known the joy of flying in fully transformed state in such a long time, and he was now able to share the experience with his youngest child and her friends. "Catch!" Ryuumaoh grunted with his mouth full, swinging his neck down, opening his mouth, and tossing Luffy's body up into the air. Zoro caught him and set him down; miraculously none of Ryuumaoh's teeth had punctured the rubber boy. That meant once he woke up he would be in, most likely, fighting-ready condition. And considering their growing number of adversaries, that was a good thing.
"Where are we going now, Daddy?" Chiyu asked him, perched between the horns on top of his head and holding on tightly.
"We are going to speak with Daikyojin. We have no home anymore, Chiyu...we need to put aside the differences of our tribe and learn to live together in peace. I am willing to forgive and forget all the things in the past that they have done to us, and I pray they can do the same for us. It is for the greater good." he explained.
"Daddy...you're always so stubborn. I'm happy you changed." Chiyu giggled.
If he could have, Ryuumaoh would have blushed. "A good leader...no, a good father knows when his pride is too great. It took getting the stuffing knocked out of me to understand that." he answered her, laughing softly.
The crew smiled; it looked like things were going to turn out for the best on the Zoan side. Now all that remained was what the Paramecians had to say...

Smoker and Tashigi had settled down and Tashigi was eating what little they could forage ravenously. "Calm down, Sergeant! You're acting more like a man than before! What's gotten into you?" Smoker observed.
Tashigi stared at him irritably. She was somewhat disappointed in him now for not being the one to rescue her. It had forced her into being, in some small way, in Roronoa Zoro's debt. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry, Smoker-san. I'm just so tired...so tired of being too weak to take care of myself. I'm being rescued by others all the time. I want to be able to save...you, for once...or someone...I want to be strong, I want to be a hero." she whimpered.
"Tashigi...for someone with such big glasses you sure can be stupid." Smoker grunted. "If I fall in the water, I'll drown unless I have you there to save me. It has nothing to do with how strong you are or I am...that's just how it is. Being a hero can come down to opportunity regardless of ability. You've got to learn, it's not always about strength! Use your damn head sometimes!" he scolded her.
Tashigi smiled softly in spite of herself. "Thank you, Smoker-san...I feel better."
"In that case, start talking. What were you doing in that cave? What happened to you?" he interrogated. He wanted to know if the attempt on his life was related to her kidnapping.
"I accompanied that female Straw Hat to the Paramecian Village, and watched her and two other fly away from there deep into the jungle. Their other female...Nico Robin...told me to go find them and tell them there was an attack planned and I needed to warn them. But before I could go very far I was ambushed and kidnapped by a man who could hide in the shadows. He knocked me out and when I came to I was chained up in that deep cave, for I don't even know how long. I almost died, Smoker-san..." she began to sob. "But a woman came and saved me...she said she was working with the man who kidnapped me and some others, but she met with Roronoa Zoro and he got her to turn against them. That's why I need to talk to him so badly...but she was in trouble. One of the other men working with the kidnapper caught her and she's fighting him right now...or she was. I don't know if she won or lost...but I owe her my life." she explained.
"Then let's not waste her sacrifice and sit around here where we're vulnerable. I have a feeling we're being watched wherever we go. Let's get moving, back to the Paramecian Village. I have a feeling the Straw Hats will head there next if they didn't get slaughtered by the Zoan Village tribe." Smoker decided, standing back up.

Shishou made her escape while Jigyousho was burning under his own living nightmare. She had to get away and find Kagemaru. Before the four of them put together could gang up on her she at least wanted to settle things with him privately. After that, she could die happily. She normally wouldn't have made this decision but she knew the time had come-this number of outsiders with this amount of strength...they may accomplish together what she could not do alone. "Where you going?" a familiar female voice asked sharply.
"None of your business, Tomo." Shishou answered gruffly; Tomoshibi had found her.
"I saw what you did. Bad, bad, move, sis." Tomoshibi tsk-tsked.
"I don't regret it. I should have done this a long time ago...but it wouldn't have done any good. But today, and from this day on, I've set in motion what will stop all of this madness." Shishou said proudly.
"What the hell are you babbling about, you little bitch? You think the time of day you decide to mess with us is going to make a damn bit of difference? You've had centuries to try and fail and you've never bothered. I always knew you'd try...Kagemaru's just too damn sentimental to get rid of you. But now you'll never get away with this...even he won't forgive you this time." Tomoshibi laughed cruelly.
"You're the naive one, Tomo. Those outsiders feel the same way I do...I can tell. They'll stop you in my place. They may not know what you are but that doesn't mean they can't fight you. And they have the strength of unity that none of you have. You bicker and argue so much I can't imagine why the master chose the four of you. It'll be your downfall, mark my words." Shishou smiled proudly.
Tomoshibi laughed out loud. "The outsiders? Those weak fools? I gave them a burial at sea along with those idiot Zoans. We've collected nearly enough souls to serve the master's purpose, we don't need to keep them alive any longer. Now with only the Paramecians left, it will be even easier to get them to trust us Shinigami and do whatever the hell we ask. So much for your stupid plan." she taunted.
Shishou didn't know that had happened. "There are still a few left. And if I fight you all tooth and nail we'll at least make you regret all of your evil deeds. No more lives will be needlessly sacrificed to that demon." Shishou didn't change her attitude.
"And you're happy to die like this? We'll gut you like a fish, traitor. We'll tear off your limbs and eat you alive." Tomoshibi hissed.
"You can try. But Kagemaru won't let you. He'll kill me himself, you know. He won't let me die by anyone else's hands. That's why you aren't trying to stop me on your own right now, isn't it? He's the strongest, we all know it. You're all afraid of him. And I know what else you're all afraid of." Shishou added threateningly.
"So you're saying that because you're talking about death so calmly, that you're not afraid of him? You really have lost your mind. You were always useless...you could never even pretend to be a Shinigami and help us keep the villages under control, and Kagemaru always having to ask the master not to slay you. You were always depending on him for everything, like a child." Tomoshibi clenched her teeth.
"I never asked him to do any of that, or to come along with the rest of you into the master's mission! I thought I was doing the right thing at first but we are not gods, we don't deserve this power any more than anyone else would! You've all let your selfishness and greed turn you into monsters. You'll pay for your crimes...your time of reckoning is at hand. Tell Kagemaru I'll be waiting for him on the beach. We'll settle this once and for all there." Shishou turned and walked off into the jungle.
"Fine. That'll be your last request." Tomoshibi nodded as she vanished into a burst of bright light.

"Lord Daikyojin! Ryuumaoh approaches! He's fully transformed!" a scout from the top of the cliffs above the village announced.
The villagers all assembled, Robin and the six strongest soldiers at the front. What did this mean? Had her friends lost and the Zoans were mounting their attack? Or had they triumphed and were now allied with the Zoans? Either way they weren't out of the woods...another battle was imminent and she was caught in the middle. She breathed deeply, trying to disguise her worry. If she looked this concerned, all of her words of wisdom would mean nothing and her careful planning would go to waste.
Daikyojin remained his normal size, his arms crossed, looking confident. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time. Let the gods favor the most worthy!" he roared
Robin watched seven figures drop off of Ryuumaoh's back and gasped in delight; that had to be her friends, no mistaking it. They descended from the sun so she couldn't quite make them out. But Nami's voice reached her and she knew it was them. "ROOOOOOOOOOOOBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!"
Crossing her arms Robin closed her eyes and smiled. "Cien Fleur...Slide!"
A hundred arms popped out of the ground and began blooming from each other, extending into the air and forming a semi-smooth slide for all of her friends. One by one they hit the top and slid down safely, skidding to a more or less comfortable stop near Robin's feet. "Told you we'd be back!" Nami grinned, winking.
"I was never worried." Robin smiled; she was lying, but she was nevertheless happy they had made it back safely.
Zoro was still holding Luffy's unconscious body. "What's the situation?" Zoro asked her, setting Luffy down gently.
"We're about to have trouble." Robin answered. "Hope you're not too worn out to fight."
"Well, Luffy is..." Usopp said, feeling a bit nervous. "But we've got the leader of the Zoans here with us!"
"I've met him." Robin said simply.
"But Ryuumaoh's not here to fight! We're trying to stop this peacefully! And it's all for that little girl! It's so beautiful!" Franky bawled, overcome with emotion.
Sanji came down last, holding onto Chiyu. "All right, which one of us gets baby-sitting duty?" Sanji asked, knowing there was going to be violence. Everyone was staring at him. "Oh...all right. But the second something happens to Nami-san or Robin-chan, I'm stepping in!" he declared. Chiyu hugged him tightly.
"Mr. Sanji, you're my knight in shining armor!" she giggled. Sanji blushed.
Ryuumaoh approached Daikyojin. At that size, he was about equal to Daikyojin's peak height. Daikyojin quickly rose to meet him on an equal level. "Where are all of your minions? I thought we'd be having our final battle!" Daikyojin queried.
"We are not here to continue this pointless conflict. We've come to ask if you'll forgive us our past sins and let us live together in peace. My people and I are all tired of this endless war. It is getting neither of us anywhere and it is high time I stopped being an irresponsible leader and father. My daughter, Chiyu, is a Paramecian herself. There is no difference between us, can't you see? Now, can we all put our pasts behind us?" Ryuumaoh proposed.
Daikyojin's answer came in the form of grabbing Ryuumaoh's throat and slamming him into the side of the cliffs, followed by a powerful blow with his other arm. "You thought this foolish trick would work? What, were you planning on killing us in our sleep if we were foolish enough to accept your so-called proposal? Imbecile! Coward! You are a disgrace! Truly the gods have frowned upon you! Now accept that your last resort has failed and die!" Daikyojin prepared to finish off the already weakened Ryuumaoh.
"Papa! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!" Chiyu shrieked.
But then a voice broke through the entire village and froze everyone in their tracks.
"GOMU GOMU NO GIANT PISTOL!"